Burj Khalifa, Dubai

So, Burj Khalifa - Check!

As of August 20, 2020, The Burj Khalifa stands the tallest building on the Blue Planet.

work-in-progress

Leh Diaries - Day 2 - Patriotism, Dharma and Nature

With the Hall of Fame, Pather Sahib Gurudwara, Magnetic Hill, Indus Zanskar Confluence and Spituk Monastery, day 2 in Leh for us had in store a remarkable combination of adrenaline and solace. Here goes...

Zanskar (Left) Indus (Right) Confluence (Sangam)

With an action packed day ahead of us, we started early and reached the first destination - The Hall of Fame. It is an Army Museum that showcases the valor and achievements of our armed forces. Walking through the displays and artefacts is an adrenaline gushing experience. There are stories of ultimate sacrifices done by our soldiers to protect the motherland on the walls of museum. As I am recalling the stories while writing this, I am getting goose bumps. They are the real saviors - I salute them!

Darjeeling

Most of the visitors to Darjeeling spend no more than two nights at this hill station and then move on to either Gangtok or other locations. But we decided to be in Darjeeling for six nights and took the hill station on foot. Yes!

Kanchenjunga peaks

When you hear Darjeeling, what comes to your mind? Whatever be your answer, I am here to say its much more than that. Darjeeling has 80+ tea estates, Toy train (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Kanchenjunga (world's third highest mountain), India's first cable car system (rope way), a zoo (with rare species including snow leopard), Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Monasteries and a lot more. At this point, I must also admit that the place needs significant administrative attention to ensure the hygiene and maintenance of the hill station.

Traveling Mantra from Clicktouring

I believe traveling improves you as an individual, it increases your awareness and helps you learn to adapt and improvise.

To all of you I ask - how many places have you traveled? And do you have a mantra to be followed on those trips? (please comment)

Below is what I have been doing and I look forward to hearing your style.

Don't mess with the clock
Recheck the timing of your flights/transportation one last time and set a reminder on your phone. Don't go by your memory, make sure that you see the timings of the next flight one more time and set a reminder. Then reach airport/train station/bus stand early. I have had bad dreams of missing my flight. Don't let it become a reality. Also pay attention to the difference in the time zones while looking at the clock.

Leh Diaries - Day 1 - Shanti Stupa

In this blog, I am going to cover what can be done in Leh on Day 1. In Leh, you are at a height of ~3,500 meters (11,480 ft) with significantly low oxygen per breath. At this height, altitude sickness can hit you irrespective of you age, sex or physical condition. Hence, it is recommended that you acclimatize your self on the day you reach Leh. Irrespective of what time you reach Leh, it is highly  recommended that you rest at your hotel for most part of the first day.

In case you are taking the road to Leh, your body gets acclimatized naturally. Still taking rest is recommended and it only helps in preparing for what Leh has to offer.

In our case, we landed early morning in Leh and checked in our hotel by 7am. Post a long rest, it was time to head out in the second half of the day. On the list were the Shanti Stupa and Leh City Market.

Main Budha and The Stupa

Leh, Finally!

When you ask a biker about his dream ride, 10/10 bikers would say a trip to Leh. Being a biker myself, I have been planning for this since 2007 and finally in the May of 2018, I along with my wife finally managed to fly to the mighty Leh. There is some bit of convincing (my better half) left to do this on the two wheels. Hopefully that will happen soon.😇

Romance, thrill, danger, action and tranquility - Leh has got it all. Whatever the eyes can see appears to be naturally photo-shopped.

As I sat down to capture this experience, I was short of words. There is so much to express! 

More on Leh coming soon... 

P.S. This one is very close to my heart and has a dedicated chapter. Watch out for this Ladakh chapter on my blog for more feeds.

Once upon a time in Cluj-Napoca - Impressions

"Welcome to Transylvania - the land of Dracula," Sergiu (my colleague) said. The city's history dates back to centuries and has several architectural masterpieces spread across. While roaming through the city, you are never too far from a church OR a museum OR a park.

Cluj-Napoca from Hotel Belvedere

Transfiguration Church

Biserica Înălţarea Domnului